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Soon after, several waves of customers arrived to buy grapes, each buying three to five pounds, quickly emptying one basket of grapes.

Jiang Quan had already raised the price to forty coins per pound, occasionally allowing bartering if someone bought a significant amount.

Grapes cannot be kept for long, and with many at home still unharvested, they had to sell the fruit quickly.

Two men in black clothes came by again, each taking ten pounds with them.

By the afternoon, all three baskets of grapes had been completely sold out.

However, people still came asking for more, most of them drawn by samples from others’ purchases.

“We’re sold out, come back in a couple of days.”

While explaining to the customers, Jiang Quan quietly asked his younger cousin, “Shall we sell the basket that’s in the carriage?”

Yingbao shot him a stare, “Don’t touch the grapes in the carriage, they are for Mingfu.”

Jiang Quan made a face, seeing the customers leave disappointed, then began to clear up the shop.

After locking up the shop, Jiang Quan and his older brother took their cousins back to Plum Blossom Lane.

Plum Blossom Lane was not far from the shop, with several small diners at its entry.

Places like Grandma Jiang’s mixed soup dumplings, Yang’s grand soup, Fat Zhou’s peppered mutton skewers, and the mutton bun stall.

The siblings managed to try tastings all the way home, their stomachs full before they even reached their doorstep.

Jiang Quan also bought ten mutton buns to bring home for his third uncle.

When they returned home, they noticed a carriage parked in the courtyard, with the horse grazing quietly in one corner. The carpenter working at home had already finished for the day and left.

Jiang Sanlang tidied up the house, especially the daughter’s room, clean and with all furniture new and orderly.

Smoke was emanating from the kitchen stove, Jiang Cheng had been cooking there recently.

“Third Uncle, we ate outside. I brought these for you.” Jiang Quan handed Jiang Sanlang the lotus leaf-wrapped mutton buns.

Jiang Sanlang took them, sitting down next to the table under the eaves and opened the lotus leaf package.

“How did the grape sales go?” He asked while eating a bun.

Jiang Quan smiled triumphantly, “All sold out.”

Jiang Sanlang looked surprised, “All three baskets?”

“Yes.” Jiang Quan placed a heavy bundle on the table, “Everything’s here.”

They had bought lots of tasty snacks while out, using the money from this bundle.

Jiang Sanlang laughed, “You siblings divide this money among yourselves.”

Jiang Quan let out a cheer, picked up the bundle, and ran into the house to count the money.

They had made over five thousand coins for the grape sales, leaving five thousand six hundred coins even after deducting the cost of the baskets.

Jiang Quan divided this money into three, he, his cousin, and his older brother each getting one thousand eight hundred coins. The remaining two hundred coins were given to Jiang Jie.

After the money distribution, it was already dark, so they took their baths and retreated to their rooms for rest.

The next day, Jiang Sanlang took his daughter and youngest son to the entrance of the county government office.

The gatekeepers today were unfamiliar government officials rather than Jin Wu and Cheng San.

Though they were a little impatient, they still went in to report.

This time, a middle-aged nanny came out. She looked surprised when she saw Yingbao, then smiled and said, “It must be Miss Jiang.”

Yingbao nodded, “I had promised Mr. Wu that when our grapes were ripe, I’d bring some for him to taste. So, here I am.”

The nanny replied, “Follow me then. You came just at the right time. If you had come later in the afternoon, Master Alang would’ve been unavailable.”

She then turned to Jiang Sanlang, “You can bring in the goods.”

Without saying a word, Jiang Sanlang carried the grape basket and went inside.

Yingbao held her little brother’s hand following behind her father, entering the inner courtyard with the nanny.

They were still greeted under the wisteria vine in the courtyard, but this time an elderly couple were seated beneath it.

The nanny said, “Our Master Alang and the lady are enjoying the cool. You two kids go say your greetings.”

Recognizing Mr. Wu, Yingbao assumed the older woman next to him must be his wife.

“Hello, Grandpa Wu, Grandma Wu.” Yingbao respectfully greeted them with a bow, and the boy beside her mimicked the action.

“Good, good. This must be your brother? Let me take a look.”

Old Mr. Wu seemed very pleased and introduced him to his wife, “This is Jiang Yingbao, and it seems this is her brother.”

Old Mrs. Wu, around sixty years old with a full head of white hair and a frail complexion. She seemed much older than Yingbao’s granny.

Yingbao guided her brother in front of the old Mrs. Wu and old Mr. Wu, saying clearly, “Grandma Wu, Grandpa Wu, my brother’s name is Jiang Jie.”

Old Mrs. Wu smiled, “So, you are Yingbao. Such a clever child.”

Turning her gaze to Jiang Jie, she ran her eyes over him. Seeing his delicate white skin she was overjoyed and gently asked, “How old are you?”

Jiang Jie replied, “Grandma, I’m almost five.”

“Oh, almost five years old.” Mrs. Wu’s smile reached her eyes, and she wanted to hold the child in her embrace, but she feared it might be inappropriate. So, she asked, “Did you have breakfast yet?”

Jiang Jie nodded, “Yes, my father fed us mutton dumplings.”

Just as old Mrs. Wu was about to say something else, old Mr. Wu asked, “Jiang Jie, can you recite the Thousand Character Classic for me?”

Jiang Jie paused, but recalling his sister’s instructions, immediately nodded, “Okay.”

Then he began to recite the Thousand Character Classic sincerely.

Old Mr. Wu did not interrupt him until he finished reciting.

Yingbao stole a glance at old Mr. Wu, and seeing his nod of approval, she breathed a sigh of relief.

After Jiang Jie finished reciting the classic, he looked eagerly at his sister, silently asking when they could leave.

Old Mr. Wu suddenly asked, “Jiang Jie, since you can recite, can you also write it from memory?”

Jiang Jie nodded, “Yes!”

Their master favorite practice was making students write the texts from memory. Those who can’t he would hit with a ruler. Out of fear, he was always the first to finish.

Old Mr. Wu asked for a brush, ink, and paper, and gestured for the boy to write on his own.

Jiang Jie went over, unrolled the paper, poured water into the inkstone, and started grinding ink stick.

When the ink was ready, he dipped the brush in it and started to write.

He wrote seriously with no regard for his surroundings.

Mr. Wu walked over and started observing behind him.

His penmanship was neat, elegant, flowing, and contained subtlety, like running clouds and flowing water.

Such a young child with such exceptional brushwork was truly rare.

Old Mr. Wu felt a sudden sense of affection and started observing the boy before him more carefully.

At just four years old, his posture was upright, his facial expression solemn, and his brush-holding formal.

Even with Mr. Wu standing beside him, he seemed oblivious, engrossed in his writing.

From this, it could be inferred that he was a very self-disciplined child.

Such a child from a farming family, having such a nature and talent, was truly rare.

Seeing that Jiang Jie had already written on over ten pieces of paper, old Mrs. Wu glared at her husband.

Only then did old Mr. Wu pat the boy’s small shoulder, “That’s enough, take a break.”

Jiang Jie finished writing the last sentence before putting down his brush, tilting his head back to ask, “Grandpa Wu, can I go home with my sister now?”

His hand was already aching from writing. If he didn’t go home now, he was afraid he would start crying.